CORO and COROCRAFT
JEWELRY
Coro, Cohen & Rosenberger began early in the 1900's
in Providence, Rhode Island. As CORO they are familiar to all costume
jewelry lovers. CORO made jewelry from about 1920 until the 1970's and probably did it under more different names than any other
maker. Vendome (1944-1979) , Corocraft (1935-1980), and
Duette are just three examples. In general, the Coro mark was on the more
modestly priced jewelry. Corocraft, Vendome and Francois were the higher priced lines. Adolph Katz was one of the best known of the
designers, but there were many others responsible for the wonderful style of Coro jewelry.

Vendome, best known for glittering
glass beads and earrings, also featured other wonderful pieces such as the cabochon
and rhinestone pieces pictured below. Corocraft was often
sterling vermeil, and the pieces that incorporated both rhinestones and
enameling are truly spectacular. The "Day and Night" pieces
shown below are true works
of genius with fascinating mechanisms that allow the pieces to move.

CORO Duette large blue faux star
sapphire and clear rhinestones marked with "patn #1,798,867
for Gaston Candas 1930, 3-5/8". This piece was seen in the book "Hollywood
Costume" by Deborah Nadoolman Landis. View #Y21861

NOTICE: The Victoria &
Albert Museum's
autumn exhibition,
'Hollywood Costume', October 20, 2012
through January 27, 2013is "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see over 100 of the most
iconic costumes in the history of film-making. It explores the central
role costume design plays in cinema storytelling. Bringing together over
100 of the most iconic movie costumes from across a century of
film-making, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the clothes
worn by unforgettable and beloved characters such as Dorothy Gale,
Indiana Jones, Scarlett O'Hara, Jack Sparrow, Holly Golightly and Darth
Vader."

Thanks to Deborah Landis, my Coro Duette, on the top above, was in this exhibit,
traveling the world more than I ever hope to! It is shown on the
dress in this wonderful movie clip of the 1936 screwball comedy "My
Man Godfrey" (William Powell) showing Carole Lombard wearing a blue star
sapphire and diamond clip at her throat and a matching ring on her
finger (not shown). If you are a lover of 30's jewelry, become a fan of
the Turner Movie Channel where so many of these 30's movies can be seen,
commercial free. It is a real treat for both vintage jewelry and classic
movie lovers like me!

CORO
pink enameled floral
Duette marked "Coro Duette, Pat'n 1798867" and is 3-5/8" by 2-1/3", similar to the Day & Night set. Patent issued
to Adolph Katz in 1939; in Christie Romero's "Warman's Jewelry,
3rd Ed, page 188; and in Brunialti's American Costume Jewelry, Art &
Industry" on page 108, and also shown in can be seen in Brunialti's
"Tribute to American Costume Jewelry" on page 70, patent 115,852 dated July 1939.
View
#C13105

CORO "Day and Night" unsigned bracelet. Each
flower on these pieces opens and closes. They are enameled on both sides,
and the underneath each are round glass beads and rhinestones. View
ViewView
#C10118

COROunsigned
"Day and Night" pieces. The earrings are 1-1/8" and the bracelet
is 7" by 1-1/4". They are beautifully enameled,
and the flower petals move to open and close the flower, circa 1940.
This same set can be seen in Christie Romero's "Warman's Jewelry", 3rd Ed, page 188.
ViewViewViewView
#10118 and #C13105

CORO
blue enamel and clear rhinestones flowers, a day and night set or parure in
gold tone settings,
circa 1940. Each blue flower is hinged at the center so that it can
open and close, revealing little blue glass berries on one side behind the
petals. The necklace is 16-1/2" long, the
pin on the top left is 3-1/4" and the clip is 2-1/2". Patent number 118,130
dated 1939 and issued to Charles E. Pauzat for Coro.
ViewViewViewViewViewViewViewPatent
#C14732

COROCRAFT day and night blue cabochon and pave floral 4" brooch.
The petals on the central flower
and CLOSE around
the center blue cabochon
giving the brooch a different look. The
MECHANISM that
allows this is amazingly complex.
OPENViewView
#C20223

COROCRAFT sterling vermeil and enameled leaf brooch with clear
rhinestone accents, 3" by 1-3/4". Marked on the back "Corocraft sterling" it
is in excellent condition and was made in about 1942.
View #C39640

CORO Deco
style 1953 brilliant clear rhinestones bracelet with clear rhinestones set in
silver tone, back clasp with a safety chain, 7" and 1-1/8" at the front and
3/4" at the back. The mark, "Coro des pat pend" is on the back of the
clasp. This amazing bracelet has pierced sides and is decorated with
baguettes and chatons, which are all brilliant but one, which is very
slightly grayed. The patent number for this amazing bracelet is 170,124
dating it to 1953, and it was patented by Adolph Katz. View
View
View #C38522

The Coro bracelet shown at the left reminds me of a DeRosa design art
work seen
HERE, not exact of course, but similar.

COROCRAFT DUETTE enameled brown, orange and yellow bird Duette... a pair of
clips that can also be affixed to a pin back and worn as a
brooch. VIEW
#C17670

CORO
Duette yellow enameled birds clips/brooch with pastel flowers and clear
rhinestones bodies, the larger size at 3-5/8", circa 1940s. As can be seen
in the photos, some of the rhinestones are graying, but not as many as
it looks in these pictures.
View #Y38523

CORO earrings with white pressed glass leaves, pink striped
rhinestones, pearlized and aurora borealis rhinestones, all set in silver
tone, 7/8". These are in very good vintage condition with only a bit of
blue verdigris at some outer edges.
View #C63567

COROCRAFT sterling with gold
wash enameled frog brooch in green, orange, yellow and white, circa 1940, 2-1/2".
This piece can be seen in the book "American Costume Jewelry" by
Brunialti on page 48.
View #C35833

CORO large enamel and
rhinestone tulip brooches in pink, purple and brown versions, circa 1940. This
style of Coro brooch can be seen in Brunialti's American Costume Jewelry,
Art & Industry" on page 107. #tul

CORO lily-of-the-valley brooch
with navy enamel leaves, artificial pearl flowers all set in gold tone,
marked on the back Coro and patent 120,676 circa 1941, a large and lovely 4-3/4".
ViewView #C34704

COROCRAFT
gold tone and clear rhinestone 2-1/2" rose pin, circa 1941. An
enameled version of this can be seen in Brunialti's "Tribute to American
Costume Jewelry" on page 70.
View #C22892

CORO blue
and green enameled flowers in a basket brooch with clear rhinestones and a center
artificial pearl, 2-1/3" by 2-1/4".
View #C35553

CORO Genuine Norseland sterling dove links bracelet with safety
chain, marked on the back as shown in the photo, 6-3/4" by 7/8". Unlike
some of these doves bracelets, this one is heavy and well made, a
quality piece circa 1940. When I first picked it up, I thought it was a
Jensen from the weight alone. Other makers did similar dove bracelets,
including Jensen and Flech & Co.
View
View #C37962

CORO flower dress clips set
with blue and green enamel and clear rhinestones accents set in gold tone
with a trembler center, each clip 1-1/2". These would also have been worn
clipped on to a brooch back, but in this case, we have only the clips
themselves.
ViewView #C63576

CORO flower dress clips set
with green enamel and clear rhinestones accents set in gold tone with a
trembler center, each clip 1-1/2". These would also have been worn clipped
on to a brooch back, but in this case, we have only the clips themselves.
View #C63578

CORO gorgeous
blue and green enameled flower brooch accented with clear and blue
rhinestones, set in gold tone metal, 2-7/8". The brooch is layered for a
wonderful 3-D effect, and the condition is excellent.
View #Y38579

CORO
194 two tone gold metal bracelet with clear faceted center
stone. A bracelet like this with a different colored center stone can be
seen in Brunialti's book, "A Tribute to America" page 77.
View
View
View #C38570

CLEAR rhinestones
brooch with chatons (rounds) and baguettes in a beautiful mix and all set in
pot metal. It is 3-1/8" by 1-1/2".
View
#Y66579 $30.00
reshoot this piece

CLEAR rhinestones round
brooch set in silver tone, fan shapes created by teardrops and baguettes and
round accents around the outside edge, 1-5/8".
View
#Y66578

TRIFARI clear rhinestones
bird brooch with outstretched wings and a red eye, marked "Trifari" on the
back, 1-3/4" by 1-1/4". The stones that line the top of the wings
are yellowed a bit, but the rest are fine so I couldn't fault this cheerful
bird just for that!
View #T66599

CORO enameled horse head
brooch with red rhinestone ears and an aqua rhinestone eye, circa 1948, 2".
An ad for this pin can be seen
HERE.
View
#C61156

CORO "Thorobreds" Duette horse heads
brooch and clips combination in gold tone with red and clear rhinestones,
circa 1945, 2". Here is an image of the original ad for this Duette
View. This can be
seen in Brunialti's "American Costume Jewelry, Art & Industry" on page 137,
Katz patent number 135,970 dated 1943.
View #C61046

CORO Corocraft sterling Pegasus horse heads Duette
clips with clear baguettes and rhinestones, all brilliant and circa 1940. This pair of
clips is each 2" by 1" and they are signed on the back, "Corocraft
sterling". I have added a back so that the clips may be used as a
brooch, but it is free of charge because I do not think it is the correct
one.
ViewViewViewView #Y66580

CORO Duette yellow birds brooch of
double fur clips, 3-5/8". As can be seen in the picture, stones
have grayed very slightly and evenly and there is some enamel missing upon
close examination, but the brooch is lovely nonetheless. Patent 126,490
dated 1941.
View #C61335

COROCRAFT "Dutch Man" sterling
with gold wash fur clip with aqua, blue and clear rhinestones, 1-1/2". It
can be worn as it is but it is also one-half of a Duette pair circa 1947. It
can be seen in Brunialti's "American Costume Jewelry" on page 84.
View #C63458

COROCRAFT "Horned Owl" sterling
with gold wash owl fur clip, can be worn as it is but also is one-half of a
Duette pair circa 1941, 2-1/4". It can be seen in Brunialti's "American
Costume Jewelry" on pages 62 and 64.
View #C63454

CORO sterling rose circle brooch and earrings marked on the back of
each piece "Coro sterling". The pin is 1-1/3" and the rose
earrings are 1/3" screw backs.
View #N66538

CORO
beautifully boxed set of a necklace and earrings in caramel, brown and
topaz-colored rhinestones set in gold tone. The necklace is 16 inches, the
clip back earrings are 1-1/3", and the box is 6" by 4" by 3/4" deep. The
Coro box shows only light wear, but the jewelry is in excellent condition
and it is beautifully displayed in the original Coro flower-decorated fitted
cardboard box..
ViewViewView #C39632

CORO sterling mood ring
where the center cabochon's color changes with your "mood" and the warmth of your body from black to
blue and green. This is a size 8 and in excellent condition.
View #C61583

And the same ring as #C61583 changed to another color.

CORO sterling and black tourmaline cabochon ring, marked "Coro sterling"
inside the band. My GIA jewelry appraiser says this black stone could be
tourmaline, onyx or quartz, it is so hard to test black stones. But her
first guess would be tourmaline. It is a size 7-3/4 and the stone is 3/4" by
5/8". It is in excellent condition.
View
View #C66567

PLEASE NOTE:Regretfully, it
is no longer possible to respond to individual questions regarding
jewelry history, identification or value, or to offer written or verbal
appraisals or opinions. The demand for this kind of information is
absolutely too overwhelming for one dealer to fill.
I love jewelry, but appraising and selling are two
entirely different businesses, and I choose selling and research as my
business.
Instead, articles are added on a regular basis to JEWEL CHAT on line Magazine, a
wonderful reference for information on many makers and styles of
vintage jewelry.
For information on valuing your jewelry, click
HERE.